Authorities link Georgia inmate to Clay red-light camera scam

Clay County detectives connected a Georgia convict currently serving 20 years in prison and his girlfriend to a red-light camera scam reported by local residents.

Daniel Ray Floyd, 38, was charged with 10 counts of scheme to defraud/impersonating a police officer, and 27-year-old Ashley Nicole Dean was charged with scheme to defraud, according to an arrest warrant.

Floyd is serving a 20-year sentence for armed robbery, driving under the influence, fleeing and eluding police, possession of methamphetamine and cocaine and terrorist threats and acts, according to the Georgia Department of Corrections.

Mary Justino, a sheriff’s spokeswoman, said Dean located news stories about areas with red-light cameras and relayed that information to Floyd.

Floyd is accused of taking that information and using two cell phones he had in his cell to contact older residents, according to the warrant. He would tell them he was a lieutenant with the Sheriff’s Office and that they had missed a court date for a red-light ticket. They were told they needed to pay $498.67 or face incarceration.

Detective B.A. Curry was able to link the phone numbers to a Verizon Wireless account and that Dean was called 684 times. Last week, Clay authorities tracked Dean to Fayetteville, Ga.

Investigators then went to Floyd’s cell at Autry State Prison in Georgia. They found the two cell phones, which Georgia authorities confiscated. Of the 10 Clay cases, only two people gave money, the Sheriff’s Office said.

Justino said law enforcement personnel would never call residents and threaten to have them arrested for failing to pay a red-light camera ticket.